SPEZZANO JR., L.C.*; CLAUSSEN, D.L.; Miami University; Miami University: The fast and the furious: Using simulated habitats to study locomotor behavior during agonism in juvenile freshwater turtles Chrysemys picta One-year old painted turtles Chrysemys picta select significantly shallower freshwater habitats than older age classes suggesting juvenile-juvenile interactions are frequent and ecologically relevant. Unfortunately, field studies […]

LEWIS, K.K.*; CEBRA-THOMAS, J.A.; GILBERT, S.F.; Swarthmore College; Swarthmore College; Swarthmore College: The expression of signaling molecules in the developing scute of the turtle Trachemys scripta The reptilian scale is one of the major adaptations that allowed early reptiles to colonize the land. Yet reptile scales, especially the chelonian scute, are all but unknown in […]

SCEMAMA, Jean-Luc*; LE PABIC, Pierre; STELLWAG, Ed; East Carolina University; East Carolina University; East Carolina University: The evolutionary developmental divergence of vertebrate Hox paralog group 2 gene expression. Segmental identity of structures located in the hindbrain and branchial arches of vertebrates are determined, at least in part, through the action of Hox paralog group 2 […]

BRUNER, A.M.*; ROSS, J.A.; PEICHEL, C.L.; Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center; University of Washington; Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center: The evolution of sex determination in stickleback fish Sex determination pathways should be highly conserved, yet they can diverge even between closely related species. The stickleback family, Gasterosteidae, provides an opportunity to investigate the mechanisms that […]

STROTHER, J.A.*; MCHENRY, M.J.; University of California, Irvine; University of California, Irvine: The effects of morphology and behavior on phototaxis in ascidian larvae. A large diversity of marine invertebrate larvae influence their dispersal by orienting their swimming to light. Despite an abundance of research that has measured ontogenetic patterns of phototaxis, it remains unclear how […]

MACH, M.E.; University of Washington: The effects of embryonic heat stress on hatching size and larval growth of the bubble snail Melanochlamys diomedea. An organism�s growth and survival depends on the environmental conditions it experiences. For organisms with complex life histories, each life history stage may be affected differently by these conditions, and the effects […]

ROMASCO, Rebecca*; TIMOTHY, Miller; GIBB, Alice C.; Suffolk University, Boston MA; Ashland, Ohio; Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff AZ: The biomechanical basis of intramandibular bending: a novel jaw joint facilitates substrate feeding in the Poeciliidae To produce the near 180° gape necessary to maximize grazing behaviors, a novel intramandibular joint between the dentary and angular-articular bones […]

ALPHONSE, M.S.; University of Central Florida: The Widespread Effects of Brazilian Pepper on its Environment The most widespread exotic woody species in Florida is Shinus terbinthifolius Raddi, Brazilian pepper (Schmitz et al., 1997). It is an aggressive invader found in coastal and inland areas in Central and South Florida (Ewe, 2002). Brazilian pepper is threatening […]

ATTIA, Jonven*; SARINSKY, Gary; STEWARD-WALKER, Mechelle; NDUKA, Ebere; CARROLL, Margaret A.; CATAPANE, Edward J.; Medgar Evers College; Kingsborough Community College; Kingsborough Community College; Medgar Evers College; Medgar Evers College; Medgar Evers College: The Survival of the American Oyster, Crassostrea virginica, in Jamaica Bay, New York Jamaica Bay (JB)was abundant with oysters until early 1900’s. Over-harvesting, […]

GOEHNER, Nicholas*; KELSTRUP, Hans; KVALHEIM, Lisa; ZUMWALT, Kari; EREZYILMAZ, Deniz; RIDDIFORD, Lynn; University of Washington; University of Washington; University of Washington; University of Washington; University of Washington; University of Washington: The Search for the Transcription Factor Broad in Non-Insectan Arthropods In insects the ecdysone-regulated Broad transcription factor regulates morphogenetic changes at the molts. In the […]